I’d rather not
share it. I’d hate to be wrong about this.”
“All right.” Hale stood, pacing to the living room’s great mantle. He ran a thumb along the scar
dividing his eyebrow—a souvenir from a fight he’d had with a Lilitu in his youth. I’d come to
recognize this gesture as a sign that Hale was wrestling with unpleasant thoughts. “If there is an
incubus in town, we need to be on our guard. Keep your eyes open. Until we know more we proceed
with extreme caution. I don’t want anyone stumbling blindly into more than they can handle.”
“Excellent advice for us all,” Angela said, glancing pointedly at Seth. “We can’t be too careful.”
“Speaking of which, we have rooms for you and Seth here,” Hale said.
“Oh, dear,” Angela winced. “That is very kind, but I’ve never done well in communal living
situations. I’ve already rented a small house in town. I think we’ll both be a bit more comfortable
there.”
Hale looked like he wanted to argue. Dad caught my eye.
“Why don’t you and Lucas take Seth over to our house,” Dad said. “Order a pizza. I have a feeling
we’re going to be here talking strategy for a while.”
Seth glanced at Angela hopefully. She looked resigned, but she nodded permission. “At least order
something with vegetables on it, if you don’t mind.”
Seth noticed me watching him and looked away quickly. My eyes lingered over the marks on his
cheek. He’d have a tender black eye in the morning.
But it could have been much worse, a voice inside me said.
I stepped onto the Guard’s front porch, drawing my sweater tighter around me. Lucas closed the door,
and Seth let out a long breath.
“And here I thought I was the only kid whose life’s been ruined by the Guard.”
“How do you mean?” Lucas asked.
“Oh, come on,” Seth’s smile was tinged with bitterness. “They see Lilitu around every corner. I
can’t go to a movie because a Lilitu might be prowling the theater. No, I get to spend my afternoons
taking rubbings of old carvings in deserted churches because they might hold the key to a centuries-
old mystery about who-gives-a-crap. Why should I care if some horny loser ends up in bed with a
demon? Right?”
Seth didn’t read the warning in Lucas’s eyes. “You know the truth,” he said. “How can you not
take a stand?”
“You’re kidding, right?” Seth’s smile faded when Lucas didn’t respond. “Okay.” Seth shrugged his
shoulders and leaned closer to me conspiratorially. “Guess no one told him not to drink the Kool-Aid,
huh?” Lucas turned abruptly and walked toward my house. I could see the tension in his shoulders.
Seth watched him go, surprised. “He’s serious about this stuff?”
“His brother was killed by a Lilitu,” I said, but I couldn’t pull my eyes off of Lucas. “Lucas was
there when it happened. So was Gretchen.” Across the yard, Lucas disappeared into my house. I heard
the door close softly, and my heart wrenched for him. Eric’s death was a wound that never healed for
Lucas.
“Seriously?” Some of the color seemed to drain out of Seth’s face.
“The Lilitu who killed him got away,” I explained. “As far as we know, she’s still out there.
Hunting. So yeah, he’s serious about this stuff.”
“I didn’t know.” Seth glanced at my house, his expression sober.
“Now you do.” I left Seth standing on the Guard’s porch, alone with his thoughts.
When I walked into our comfortable foyer, I heard Lucas in the living room. He was planted on the
couch with the TV on. He wasn’t paying it much attention, though. I sat gingerly beside him. Silently,
he draped his arm over my shoulders and pulled me in tighter.
Seth appeared in the entryway to the living room a few minutes later. “Mind if I join you? Or is
this going to turn into another make-out session?”
Lucas only glanced at him.
Seth leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “Let me ask you
share it. I’d hate to be wrong about this.”
“All right.” Hale stood, pacing to the living room’s great mantle. He ran a thumb along the scar
dividing his eyebrow—a souvenir from a fight he’d had with a Lilitu in his youth. I’d come to
recognize this gesture as a sign that Hale was wrestling with unpleasant thoughts. “If there is an
incubus in town, we need to be on our guard. Keep your eyes open. Until we know more we proceed
with extreme caution. I don’t want anyone stumbling blindly into more than they can handle.”
“Excellent advice for us all,” Angela said, glancing pointedly at Seth. “We can’t be too careful.”
“Speaking of which, we have rooms for you and Seth here,” Hale said.
“Oh, dear,” Angela winced. “That is very kind, but I’ve never done well in communal living
situations. I’ve already rented a small house in town. I think we’ll both be a bit more comfortable
there.”
Hale looked like he wanted to argue. Dad caught my eye.
“Why don’t you and Lucas take Seth over to our house,” Dad said. “Order a pizza. I have a feeling
we’re going to be here talking strategy for a while.”
Seth glanced at Angela hopefully. She looked resigned, but she nodded permission. “At least order
something with vegetables on it, if you don’t mind.”
Seth noticed me watching him and looked away quickly. My eyes lingered over the marks on his
cheek. He’d have a tender black eye in the morning.
But it could have been much worse, a voice inside me said.
I stepped onto the Guard’s front porch, drawing my sweater tighter around me. Lucas closed the door,
and Seth let out a long breath.
“And here I thought I was the only kid whose life’s been ruined by the Guard.”
“How do you mean?” Lucas asked.
“Oh, come on,” Seth’s smile was tinged with bitterness. “They see Lilitu around every corner. I
can’t go to a movie because a Lilitu might be prowling the theater. No, I get to spend my afternoons
taking rubbings of old carvings in deserted churches because they might hold the key to a centuries-
old mystery about who-gives-a-crap. Why should I care if some horny loser ends up in bed with a
demon? Right?”
Seth didn’t read the warning in Lucas’s eyes. “You know the truth,” he said. “How can you not
take a stand?”
“You’re kidding, right?” Seth’s smile faded when Lucas didn’t respond. “Okay.” Seth shrugged his
shoulders and leaned closer to me conspiratorially. “Guess no one told him not to drink the Kool-Aid,
huh?” Lucas turned abruptly and walked toward my house. I could see the tension in his shoulders.
Seth watched him go, surprised. “He’s serious about this stuff?”
“His brother was killed by a Lilitu,” I said, but I couldn’t pull my eyes off of Lucas. “Lucas was
there when it happened. So was Gretchen.” Across the yard, Lucas disappeared into my house. I heard
the door close softly, and my heart wrenched for him. Eric’s death was a wound that never healed for
Lucas.
“Seriously?” Some of the color seemed to drain out of Seth’s face.
“The Lilitu who killed him got away,” I explained. “As far as we know, she’s still out there.
Hunting. So yeah, he’s serious about this stuff.”
“I didn’t know.” Seth glanced at my house, his expression sober.
“Now you do.” I left Seth standing on the Guard’s porch, alone with his thoughts.
When I walked into our comfortable foyer, I heard Lucas in the living room. He was planted on the
couch with the TV on. He wasn’t paying it much attention, though. I sat gingerly beside him. Silently,
he draped his arm over my shoulders and pulled me in tighter.
Seth appeared in the entryway to the living room a few minutes later. “Mind if I join you? Or is
this going to turn into another make-out session?”
Lucas only glanced at him.
Seth leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “Let me ask you
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